Grilled Fresh Cactus Recipes

NOPALES ASADOS

Steps:

• Heat the grill to 400 degrees F.
• Meanwhile rinse and pat dry the cactus paddles.
• Brush with the olive oil on both sides.
• Sprinkle with salt on both sides.
• Place on the grill and cook for 5 minutes.
• Turn and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
• If using the top rack of the grill, the cactus will need more time to cook.

GRILLED SKIRT STEAK WITH CACTUS RELISH

Steps:

• Whisk together the lime juice, chiles, garlic and olive oil in a small bowl. Generously brush each piece of meat all over with the marinade and roll each piece up into a cylinder. Arrange the rolled steaks in a shallow nonreactive dish and pour on remaining marinade. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator 24 to 48 hours.
• About 30 minutes before cooking, remove the meat from the refrigerator. Unroll the steaks and sprinkle with salt.
• Heat the grill to very hot. Cook the steaks just until seared on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Transfer to a cutting board and slice across the grain into diagonal strips. Serve hot with Cactus Relish and warm flour tortillas.
• Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Saute the corn with the salt and pepper, about 5 minutes. Add nopales, tomatillos, and peppers and saute briefly to combine and warm slightly. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool.
• Add cilantro, vinegar and scallions and stir well to combine. Let sit 20 to 30 minutes to blend the flavors.
• Serve at room temperature. Relish can be stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator up to 2 days.
• Yield: about 3 cups

GRILLED FRESH CACTUS

Steps:

• 1. Prepare an outdoor grill, if using. If the cactus paddles still have thorns, with gloves on, remove all the thorns from the cactus by scraping them off with a sharp knife (but don't remove the skin) then trim off about 1/4 inch all around the edge of the paddle. Rinse and dry with paper towels. Brush both sides of the cactus with oil. Season with salt and pepper. 2. Preheat a stovetop grill pan if using. Grill the cactus paddles until they are tender and marked by the grill, about 3 to 5 minutes per side, depending on the size. Serve 1 grilled paddle to each person, or cut into strips and serve from a plate as a side dish.From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.